Vermont Legalizes Gay Marriage

Vermont has legalized same-sex marriage. The Vermont Senate voted 23-5 to override Republican Governor Jim Douglas’ veto of legislation passed in the state Thursday that re-defines marriage in the constitution as that existing between two individuals, thereby allowing same-sex couple the right to wed, while the House voted 100-49 to override the veto. Vermont now joins Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa as the only four states in the union to legalize gay marriage, and Vermont is the only state to do so with a legislative vote – the other three relied on decisions made by the Supreme Court.